KUCHING, Feb 1 2026: Senator Abun Sui Anyit reiterated his call that politicians and elected representatives should not get involved in the appointments of community leaders and headmen, saying such interference is against the customs and traditional of the local communities.
Abun Sui Anyit: The role of the government should be limited to recognising and acknowledging the community's choices, not interfering, manipulating or rejecting the community's decisions.
He said the responsibility of elected representatives is to champion the interests of the people, not to choose who should lead the people at the grassroots level.
“They should respect the community’s choice,” he said when commenting on the grouses expressed by Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Tiong King Sing that the party’s nominees for the community leaders and headmen were disregarded in Dudong and Bawan Assan.
Tiong, who is also Dudong state legislative member (SLM), blamed SUPP for sidelining PDP’s nominees for the appointments of the community leaders and headmen.
Abun said if the principle of letting the community itself should elect their own grassroots leaders is upheld and implemented honestly and consistently, this issue raised by Tiong would not have arisen at all.
Abun, who is a native rights lawyer, said issued the statement to maintain community harmony, respect local customs, and ensure that politics does not damage the community leadership structure that has long functioned well.
He said his principle is clear and consistent that community leaders must be elected by the community itself.
“For generations, the community in Sarawak has practised its own customs and traditions in determining who is worthy of leading the community.
“This practice existed long before the modern political system and should be respected without compromise,” he stressed.
He asserted that the role of the government should be limited to recognising and acknowledging the community's choices, not interfering, manipulating or rejecting the community's decisions.
“When the will of the community is set aside, conflict and political tension are inevitable,” he said, urging all parties, regardless of political party, to respect the customs and practices.
He said only then there is no need for disputes, accusations or political influence vying for power in the matter of the appointment of community leaders.
“I am of the view that the standard operating procedures (SOP) currently being practised by the authorities contradicts the customs of the community, and this contradiction is the main cause of the ongoing polemics,” Abun said, adding that politicians and elected representatives should not be involved in determining or influencing the selection of community leaders.
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